Zoning: APC NWC compensates North Central with the position of National Legal Adviser

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has come up with a zoning arrangement to fill vacant positions of the National Working Committee (NWC).

The decision was taken during the 12th NEC meeting of the party in Abuja on Thursday.

With the election of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as the new National Chairman and Senator Ajibola Basiru as National Secretary on Thursday by NEC, six other NWC members are vacant.

The vacancies in the NWC are occasioned by the death of a member, the resignation of three officers, nomination of two members of the committee for ministerial appointment.

Deputy National Chairman (North) and National Women Leader are ministerial nominees, National Vice Chairman (North West), National Legal Adviser and Deputy National Publicity Secretary resigned from their positions while the office of the National Welfare Secretary became vacant following the demise of the occupant early this year.

A highly placed member of the party’s NEC recently revealed that the emergence of the new National Chairman from North West, a position earlier occupied by the North Central informed the rearrangement of the zoning pattern.

To this end, after wide consultations, the party’s highest policy-making organ arrived at the new formula.

National Chairman hitherto zoned to North Central moved to North West while the Deputy National Chairman (North) and National Secretary are still being retained in the North East and South West respectively.

APC NEC also retained the position of National Welfare Secretary and the National Women Leader in South East and South-South.

A deliberate move to placate the North Central for losing the National Chairmanship seat to North West, a compromise was reached at the meeting to zone the office of the National Legal Adviser, (which was occupied by the North West) to North Central.

The resignation of the former National Legal Adviser, Barrister Ahmed Usman El-Marzuk, who hails from North West on Wednesday night made the zoning arrangement of the office to the North Central a lot easier.